I have someone to contribute for once. This is Flower. Poor cat got stuck with a stupid name from her prior owner, who more or less kicked her out in the middle of a divorce. She's an indoor/outdoor cat who's learned to knock when she wants in. Now think about that for a minute. She can knock on a door loud enough to be heard over the TV. When she gets worked up and goes to bat at you, you might not get scratches but a day later you'll be wondering where that bruise came from.

The First Four Black Sabbath Albums:It's been ages since I've visited Fark. I miss it. I'm just too busy with the various Boards of Directors I'm on and my day job. Anyway, I have to share the little photo shoot my wife and I had on Valentine's Day:

[sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net image 850x850]

Your kitties are adorable! That got a huge laugh! They are so very tolerant of your antics, they must love you both a lot!

tigerose:Pivot I am sorry for your loss and for your cat's grief. In time the grief softens, but until then it's darn hard, all day long. We understand. Stay, laugh, cry. It's what we are here for!!

shortymac try putting some cortizone cream on it. Eli get teh bald belleh every spring, and that is what the vet told us to use. I would glop some on just before he sat down for his gooshy food. It actually worked quite well..And kitteh may need to spend some time in the cone of shame, so she stops obsessively licking it.

And bring the cat in. You fed it, it's yours now!

Thank you so much for that advice! I was at a loss for what to do about her belly.

We have 4 cats total: Heidi, Froggy, Kitty-Mao, and Callie. All rescues. So we're at max capacity for cats for a 3bed apartment with roommate. If we see him again we might coax him inside and open the door to the laundry room area so the kitties can have more room to roam around [Depending on the reactions of the other cats. Heidi loves Humans, can get territorial with other cats].

We know he's eating our bowl but we haven't seen him again yet, will keep updating.

I swear my hubby is a cat-whisperer, he had 2 different cats [other than neighbor cat] come up to him meowing and crying at him, we think they've been kicked out but haven't seen them again yet. We're keeping an eye out and will be trapping them and giving them to a rescue for adoption if they aren't anyone's indoor/outdoor cat.

Allen. The end.:Oh hell. My cat Jupiter is 18 years old. Monday she goes into the vet...things are not looking good. I've never lost a pet before, and I am wigging out. She was a hunter, and now an indoor cat, and I've been giving her glucosamine and chondroitin...but she is eating MUCH less, although she is still drinking plenty of water. I hope it's just a UTI. Instead of renal failure. And yeah, I know Jupiter is a guy name...but she came with it. When I got her I could hold her in one hand (peep!)...now I am scared.

Try giving her some human baby food chicken or turkey (without onions) That will sometimes tempt a kitty that has lost her appetite. I have also found that Fancy Feast Chicken & Liver is very hard for kitties to resist. Good luck, and keep us posted. It could be something simple to treat.

shortymac:I really don't get the whole "letting cats out" thing, we don't do that with dogs or any other pets. [Dogs going to the bathroom doesn't count]. I don't know how the tradition started.

In some countries, a lot of people consider it cruel to confine your cat indoors. Some do in the US as well, but not nearly as many as I've talked to over the 'net in places like the UK. If your neighbors see your Moggie in the window and never out in the back garden enjoying a nice romp, chances are they'll think you're a big ol' meanie poopy head.

My GoGo Beastie goes out when she wants, but we live at the end of a cul de sac and she stays pretty close to home. We have a "critter highway" running through our back yard, through a little hole in our back fence, that goes into the creek area and wooded area behind our house. Every morning Go must walk the highway and sniff the shrubberies along its edge and see who passed by while she was sleeping/tearing through the house/banging on my door in the dead of night. My family and I call it "reading the news". She'll do it again after lunch and then again right before bed time. She rarely leaves our yard (and then sticks to the creek area and wooded area, so no traffic there) so I don't mind her wanting out and I go ahead and let her out. If we lived on a busy road, it would be an entirely different issue, though.

All the cats I grew up with had been found near dumpsters at a very young age (few weeks), and in very bad shape, but it is really astonishing how fast they recover! Although one could never be held too close to a window as she would go all panicky...sigh

Real Women Drink Akvavit:shortymac: I really don't get the whole "letting cats out" thing, we don't do that with dogs or any other pets. [Dogs going to the bathroom doesn't count]. I don't know how the tradition started.

In some countries, a lot of people consider it cruel to confine your cat indoors. Some do in the US as well, but not nearly as many as I've talked to over the 'net in places like the UK. If your neighbors see your Moggie in the window and never out in the back garden enjoying a nice romp, chances are they'll think you're a big ol' meanie poopy head.

My GoGo Beastie goes out when she wants, but we live at the end of a cul de sac and she stays pretty close to home. We have a "critter highway" running through our back yard, through a little hole in our back fence, that goes into the creek area and wooded area behind our house. Every morning Go must walk the highway and sniff the shrubberies along its edge and see who passed by while she was sleeping/tearing through the house/banging on my door in the dead of night. My family and I call it "reading the news". She'll do it again after lunch and then again right before bed time. She rarely leaves our yard (and then sticks to the creek area and wooded area, so no traffic there) so I don't mind her wanting out and I go ahead and let her out. If we lived on a busy road, it would be an entirely different issue, though.

I have someone to contribute for once. This is Flower. Poor cat got stuck with a stupid name from her prior owner, who more or less kicked her out in the middle of a divorce. She's an indoor/outdoor cat who's learned to knock when she wants in. Now think about that for a minute. She can knock on a door loud enough to be heard over the TV. When she gets worked up and goes to bat at you, you might not get scratches but a day later you'll be wondering where that bruise came from.

Powerful Katrinka! I love it. Eli bangs on the screen door in the summertime, so I know what you are talking about! And he knocks things off tables with his whipcord tail. :) He's a stinker! But I love him anyway.

UM? I think my name wasn't supposed to be there.Good for wildcardjack rescuing Flower.

That's what we call any gal who is strong...I didn't mean to call you, but now that you are here, how have you been?? :)

I have been sewing this afternoon, but Eli just reminded me that he needs some kibbles. So I decided to pop in and see what you all have been up to. Quite a bit as it turns out!!

shortymac before we had Eli, my two cats were indoor only, and they preferred it that way. I tried harnass for them, nope, they thought grass was too icky on their tootsies. Eli on the other hand was a feral rescue, so he knows the outside and drove us nuts getting out, until we finally saw things his way. He comes when I whistle for him and he keeps some of the extra rodent population down. In fact my neighbors routinely tell him where the mice/chipmunks are, with requests to be rid of same. I think with Felines, being smaller animals, and less domesticated at first glance, it is easier to justify allowing them outside to fulfill thier hunter instincts..just my two cents! :) It is safer for them to be inside, less disease prone etc..but there is something thrilling about watching a cat race across the yard, take a flying leap and climb half up the tree, just for the fun of it!

I have someone to contribute for once. This is Flower. Poor cat got stuck with a stupid name from her prior owner, who more or less kicked her out in the middle of a divorce. She's an indoor/outdoor cat who's learned to knock when she wants in. Now think about that for a minute. She can knock on a door loud enough to be heard over the TV. When she gets worked up and goes to bat at you, you might not get scratches but a day later you'll be wondering where that bruise came from.

Powerful Katrinka! I love it. Eli bangs on the screen door in the summertime, so I know what you are talking about! And he knocks things off tables with his whipcord tail. :) He's a stinker! But I love him anyway.

UM? I think my name wasn't supposed to be there.Good for wildcardjack rescuing Flower.

That's what we call any gal who is strong...I didn't mean to call you, but now that you are here, how have you been?? :)

Indoors to outdoors:When we moved from the top floor of a low-rise in Hong Kong to an appartment in Paris, the determining factor in picking a place to live was a ground floor because we thought the cats would enjoy it. They were around 5-7years old and had only known a terrace and balcony in HK. They both enjoyed going out a lot, and was funny seeing the silly, clumbsy and cuddly one trying to act all tough and puffy when defending the place from other cats at the window...They LOVED going out from the window and one would always accompany their humans back through the lobby if it had the chance. They both had FIH though, probably by birth, possibly by the lack of feline condoms. Who knows! Both lived about 15 merry years though.

tigerose:I have been sewing this afternoon, but Eli just reminded me that he needs some kibbles. So I decided to pop in and see what you all have been up to. Quite a bit as it turns out!!

shortymac before we had Eli, my two cats were indoor only, and they preferred it that way. I tried harnass for them, nope, they thought grass was too icky on their tootsies. Eli on the other hand was a feral rescue, so he knows the outside and drove us nuts getting out, until we finally saw things his way. He comes when I whistle for him and he keeps some of the extra rodent population down. In fact my neighbors routinely tell him where the mice/chipmunks are, with requests to be rid of same. I think with Felines, being smaller animals, and less domesticated at first glance, it is easier to justify allowing them outside to fulfill thier hunter instincts..just my two cents! :) It is safer for them to be inside, less disease prone etc..but there is something thrilling about watching a cat race across the yard, take a flying leap and climb half up the tree, just for the fun of it!

Yeah, I would like to let my cats roam around more but we live on Toronto and I'd be worried that they would get hit by a car or something. I wish they were more like dogs and stay in the backyard.

Nearly 550 comments already? That's what I get for sleeping in! (And not having TF.) Haven't read the thread, just dropping this link off before I grab a snack and sit down to read. Apparently FireFox and Photobucket aren't on speaking terms, because for some reason videos uploaded to my PB account won't play in FF, but do so just fine in IE. *Shrug.* No idea about Chrome or Safari, though.

Two weeks ago Sassy had a case of The Crazy. After galloping up and down the hall a bit he followed me into the bathroom while I got ready for the day. He hopped into the tub and began a three-way battle between himself, his tail, and the shower curtain. Sonny was unimpressed. Attack of the Shower Curtain! (New window.)

Off to get munchies and then a walk in the sunshine. Yay, winter is finally dying off, whooooo!